Jon Huntsman waves as he announces his bid for the Republican presidential nomination today at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Republican Jon Huntsman, a former U.S. ambassador to China who has campaigned in other early voting states but has so far avoided Iowa, today announced a run for the White House and promised a civil campaign.

Huntsman, 51, pitched himself as a former governor, businessman and diplomat who gained perspective on what the country needs while living outside its borders.

“I’ve lived overseas four times, where the view of America from 10,000 miles away is a picture of liberty, opportunity and justice,” Huntsman, a father of seven, said in a live speech from New Jersey with the Statue of Liberty framed in the background.

“And today, I’m a candidate for the office of president of the United States of America,” he said, his voice rising, to applause. “My kids can’t believe I just said that.”

Offering big-picture themes, Huntsman said the country must “reignite the powerful job creating engine of our economy: the industry, innovation, reliability and trailblazing genius of Americans and their enterprises.”

“We must make broad and bold changes to our tax code and regulatory policies, seize the lost opportunity of energy independence and reestablish what it means to be a teacher in society,” he said.

Huntsman’s campaign is pegging him as a non-traditional Republican — “someone who doesn’t look or sound like everyone else” and who will tell voters “things you won’t be hearing from any other campaign.”

His campaign website for the last several days highlighted video of an unidentified motocross rider roaring across the Utah desert, then on Monday revealed the cyclist was Huntsman.

“Our ideas are different. Our results will bring America back to the top,” Huntsman said in an e-mail to supporters this morning.

Instead of dishing out harsh criticism of Democratic President Barack Obama like other candidates have done, Huntsman said he respects his fellow Republican candidates and his boss in 2009 and 2010 — a message that independents fed up with partisanship might embrace.

“(Obama) and I have a difference of opinion on how to help a country we both love,” Huntsman said from the site of Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign kickoff. “But the questions each of us wants the voters to answer is who will be the best president, not who’s the better American.”

Iowa Republicans reacted to Huntsman’s newborn campaign with a mix of messages of welcome and skeptism.

He’s considered a mainline candidate who, along with frontrunner Romney, likely won’t make much headway with religious conservatives, including those in Iowa who dominated the caucus turnout last election cycle.

Earlier this month, Huntsman said he likely won’t visit here, despite its importance on the presidential nominating calendar, because his opposition to ethanol subsidies would be unpopular in the agricultural state.

Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz, a Republican, blasted Huntsman’s excuse, saying it had as much credibility as “the dog ate my homework.”

Schultz, who is a Mormon, said Huntsman’s Mormonism isn’t a barrier to winning political support in Iowa — and he shouldn’t avoid the state for that reason, either.

Cameron Sutton, a retired insurance executive who was among the team of Iowans who tried to recruit New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to run, said he has never met Huntsman.

“He’s obviously a very intelligent person,” Sutton said. “He’s got a strong political sense about him and financially, he’s pretty well set, with regards to raising money.

“But it’s all going to come down to: What are his views? Are they conservative views or are they far left? I don’t think he’s made any real statements yet as to what they are.”

Several Iowa Republicans said Huntsman, who was governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009, is going to have to explain his reported support for civil unions for same-sex couples, limiting greenhouse gas emissions with a cap and trade system, benefits for illegal immigrants and other policies.

“If he doesn’t come to Iowa, he’s not going to be the Republican nominee,” said Don Racheter, vice chairman of Iowans for Tax Relief. “It means he’s afraid of a significant segment of the Republican base — those people who care about sound fiscal and social and moral foundations for public policy.”

Racheter said politicians can’t “skate into office because of who they are. Just because he was ambassador to someplace doesn’t mean he’s in touch with what grassroots Republicans want.”

When Huntsman as governor supported civil unions for same-sex couples, a majority of Utahns continued to think highly of Huntsman, a poll showed. The Deseret News reported in February 2009: “It’s a centrist shift that has politicos and national media penciling Huntsman onto the 2012 ballot” — and he’s been described this year as a formidable opponent to Obama.

Sen. Merlin Bartz, R-Grafton, said he knows too little about Huntsman to have an opinion, but added: “It’s an additional person that’s interested in taking out President Obama because of his failed policy. We’d love to see him in Iowa, let’s put it that way.”

Huntsman in his speech tried to help voters bone up in his past, saying as Utah governor, “we cut taxes and flattened rates. We balanced our budget. … We proved that government doesn’t have to choose between fiscal responsibility and economic growth.”

Jon Huntsman

DATE OF BIRTH: March 26, 1960

EDUCATION: Attended the University of Utah, then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international politics.

ELECTIVE OFFICE: Governor of Utah, 2005-2009.

OTHER POLITICAL HIGHLIGHTS: White House staff assistant to President Ronald Reagan. Deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs for President George H. W. Bush, then deputy assistant secretary of commerce for trade development in Asia and, later, ambassador to Singapore. Under President George W. Bush, he was a U.S. trade representative. President Barack Obama named him U.S. ambassador to China in August 2009; he announced earlier this year he was resigning.

OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: President and chief executive officer of Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Chairman of Huntsman Corp., chairman and chief executive officer of the Huntsman Family Holdings Co. LLC.